The cause of his death remains unclear, although Merseyside police do not suspect foul play.

Officers said a post mortem examination was “inconclusive” but they were not treating the case as suspicious and were today expected to hand it over to the coroner.

Yesterday, CCTV from the area was being sought and officers were making house-to-house inquiries.

The area where he collapsed, close to Lipa, was taped off and was being treated as a crime scene.

Cars and pedestrians were diverted by a uniformed policeman guarding the cordon.

Mr Rudkin was a former Commonwealth and European bantamweight boxing champ (1965-1970).

He lived in Rice Street in the city centre, held an MBE, and was a well-known Liverpool personality.

In 2007, the ECHO included him in its list of the 800 greatest Liverpudlians as part of the city’s 800th anniversary.

He had friends such as Merseybeat legend Gerry Marsden, who said Mr Rudkin was the reason behind his singing career.

Gerry said: “I am very upset. He was a dear man, a great Liverpool legend.

“If it was not for Alan I would not be in showbusiness, because years ago I used to box. I used to fight to get in the ring and one night he gave me a terrible hiding. “I told my mum ‘I’m going to pack in boxing and stay singing’.

“If not for Alan, I might have been battered by someone else in the ring.

“He was a lovely person and dear friend.”

Mr Rudkin was a regular in the Ye Cracke pub, opposite his home, where staff described him as having a “wonderful sense of humour”.

Landlady Saidia Maif said: “He was a personality in his own right. Everybody knew who he was.

“He was a character. He had a wonderful sense of humour and was a humorous man. A lot of people will be upset by this.”

Last Saturday, Mr Rudkin attended a reunion for boxers at Shoreditch town hall, in London, and received a medal for fighting.

He was presented with the award in front of 600 people.

David Ayles, secretary of the Home Counties Ex-Boxers Association, said: “I was talking to him for half an hour on Saturday. It is unbelievable. He was fine then.”

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The Editor

Alastair Machray

Alastair Machray was appointed editor of The Liverpool Echo in 2005 and is also editor-in-chief of Trinity Mirror Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales. He is a former editor of The Daily Post (Wales and England) and editor-in-chief of the company's Welsh operations. Married dad-of-two and keen golfer Alastair is one of the longest-serving newspaper editors in the country. His titles have won numerous awards and spearheaded numerous successful campaigns.